Dr. Dharma Cortes, University of Massachusetts
“Esto es Mejor: Improving Food Purchasing Selection Among Low-Income, Spanish-Speaking LatinosThrough Social Marketing Messages”
This Salud America! pilot research project examines how an educational intervention informed by low-literacy principles (i.e., guidelines to ease understanding of complex themes like nutrition) could be used to increase food literacy and change consumer behavior to increase healthy eating among low-income Spanish-speaking Latinos. The study is evaluating specific consumer behaviors—food purchasing and consumption—among 20 low-income, Spanish-speaking Latino families with children under age 18. Baseline data on food purchasing, food consumption patterns, and healthy eating first were collected using various qualitative and quantitative research methods, including participant observations of families’ grocery shopping, nutritional analysis of families’ grocery store receipts, interviews, and photographs by children of families’ food environments. Home visits and educational sessions were conducted to teach families strategies to buy healthier food with a limited budget.
Presentation at Project Start: 2009
Presentation at Project End: 2011
Research Brief: 2011
Dr. Robert Dudley, Community Health Center, Inc. (Conn.)
“Healthy Tomorrows for Latina Teens”
This Salud America! pilot research project was a mid-course evaluation of a project called Healthy Tomorrows for Teens (HTT). It is a five-year (2007-2012), federally-funded obesity prevention and advocacy training program for adolescent girls. The program was implemented in New Britain High School, which has a large population of Puerto Rican students and is the largest high school in Connecticut. As part of HTT, Latina girls participate in nutritional counseling, YWCA fitness programs and community service learning and leadership projects. The mid-course evaluation assessed HTT strengths and weaknesses to support performance improvements and sustainability in Years 4-5 (emphasizing Latina teens’ participation in physical activity). To identify factors that promote or prevent consistent physical activity among Latina teens, we conducted nine focus groups with 36 teens and 40 parents (87 percent Latino). HTT staff also conducted three Photovoice sessions to assess the city of New Britain to identify barriers to physical activity.
Presentation at Project Start: 2009
Presentation at Project End: 2011
Research Brief: 2011
Dr. Claudia L. Galindo, University of Maryland
“Young Latino Children’s Weight Changes: Examination of Individual, Family and School Factors”
This Salud America! pilot research project studied factors and behaviors that may affect weight, nutrition and physical activity among Latino youth. This study examined the weight status of 5-year-old Latino children in kindergarten and how their weight changed through 5th grade, compared with their White, African-American and Asian peers. It also examines variations in weight among Latino subgroups by country and region of origin and socioeconomic status (SES). Study data come from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Cohort (ECLS-K), sponsored by the National Center for Education Statistics. The ECLS-K is a nationally representative sample of 21,000 students from the kindergarten class of 1998–99. The study sample of 17,000 kindergarteners—after excluding foreign-born White and African-American students—included 3,600 Latinos.
Presentation at Project Start: 2009
Presentation at Project End: 2011
Research Brief: 2011
Dr. Zan Gao, Texas Tech University
“Integrating DDR to Promote Urban Latino School Children’s Physical Health and Academic Achievement: Project GAME”
This Salud America! pilot research study examines the impact of a structured exercise program (e.g., the interactive video game Dance Dance Revolution [DDR], during which players stomp on a dance mat to mimic the steps of an on-screen dancer; aerobic dance; jump rope; etc.) on physical fitness and academic performance among urban Latino children. The study compared physical fitness levels and reading and math test scores of students who participated in the exercise intervention (with DDR) to those in a comparison group. Fitness was measured using the FITNESSGRAM test, including a 1-mile run and body mass index (BMI) assessment. Academic performance was measured using the students’ reading and math scores from the Utah Performance Assessment System’s Criterion-Referenced Tests. The study also conducted in-depth student interviews assessing students’ experience in the exercise program.
Presentation at Project Start: 2009
Presentation at Project End: 2011
Research Brief: 2011
